Book Review: Wild at Heart by KA Tucker

Wild at Heart (Wild #2)

by KA Tucker

Release Date: February 18, 2019

Source: Blog Tour Company 

Goodreads

Calla Fletcher returns to Toronto a different person, struggling to find direction and still very much in love with the rugged bush pilot she left behind. When Jonah arrives on her doorstep with a proposition she can’t dismiss, she takes the leap and rushes back to Alaska to begin their exciting future together.

But Calla soon learns that even the best intentions can lead to broken promises, and that compromise comes with a hefty price—a log cabin in interior rural Alaska that feels as isolating as the western tundra.

With Jonah gone more than he’s home, one neighbor who insists on transforming her into a true Alaskan, and another who seems more likely to shoot her than come to her aid, Calla grapples with forging her own path. In a world with roaming wildlife that has her constantly watching over her shoulder and harsh conditions that stretch far beyond the cold, dark, winter months, just stepping outside her front door can be daunting.

This is not the future Calla had in mind, leaving her to fear that perhaps she is doomed to follow in her mother’s fleeing footsteps after all.

I absolutely LOVED The Simple Wild and all of the angst between Calla and Jonah. Enemies to lovers romances are my favorite and that combined with Calla reconnecting with her father made me an emotional mess. I could not wait to see how their story would continue in this book!

While we got angst and enemies in book one, this book was just....domestic? And I didn't care. We get half of this book about Calla shopping for furniture for her house. Seriously? There was not a lot of the angsty romance I wanted and I really started not to like Calla. She complained the whole time, wouldn't communicate with Jonah, and would not figure out how to make a life for herself separate from a man. She knew living in Alaska would be hard and didn't really try to make a life for herself there; she depended on Jonah and threw a fit when he was busy flying, which SHE TOLD HIM TO DO. 

The only thing I enjoyed about this book was Calla's relationship with Roy. That was so sweet and the only relationship I actually cared about throughout the story. Calla and Jonah weren't really interacting a lot and we didn't get their adorable bickering. This book felt so much more like women's fiction to me and I just didn't care a majority of the time. I barely felt any romance and Calla was annoying when she would get jealous and possessive and angry at Jonah. While I will continue to love book one, I could have done without this book.

Book Review: Bullseye by Monica James

Bullseye (The Monsters Within Duet #1)

by Monica James

Release Date: 2/20/20

Source: Author

Goodreads

For twelve long years, I’ve breathed, I’ve bled for only one thing…

Revenge.

Four men took something from me, something which can never be replaced. That one night changed the lives of so many and taught me that monsters are real.

But I also learned I’m the biggest monster of them all.

Nothing and no one will stand in my way of redemption because those men…they’re now three. The fourth—he is the reason they call me Bullseye. They can run, but sooner or later, I’ll find them, just as I did with their friend. They’re already dead…they just don’t know it yet.

My plan was simple until I met her. A fierce tiger who had the power to break my heart. Lucky for me…she can’t break what’s already broken. I am no longer a man because the world is a jungle, and we’re all just animals—ready to tear one another apart.

I absolutely love Monica James' dark romances, so when I saw she had a new duet coming out, and after seeing that gorgeous cover, I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book.

This book starts the day that Bullseye gets released from jail and I was immediately intrigued by his character. We knew that he was out for revenge, but we don't know what that revenge was until about 20% into the book. I love myself a damaged hero and Bullseye is as damaged as they come. I loved how we were slowly given information about his past and those flashbacks were just heartbreaking to read. I was actually rooting for Bullseye to get his revenge even though it was totally illegal and brutal. 

When it came to the romance, I did enjoy how Lily and Bullseye kind of circled each other until they couldn't resist their attraction anymore. I was intrigued by Lily and wished we got more of her as a mom. I feel like we only got to know her with Bullseye or at her two jobs (one as a dance teacher and one as a stripper), but we didn't see a lot of her actually with her son, which was a big part of her identity. While the ending definitely left me wanting book two ASAP, I did see that twist coming super early into the book, which took this book down a star for me. Other than that, though, I really enjoyed this romance and how both characters were trying to ignore their feelings because of the baggage they both carry. 

As usual, Monica James pulled me in with her dark and twisted romance. She knows how to create dark but utterly seductive bad boys that you can't help but love. I did not want to put this book down and am eagerly anticipating the next book!

Release Day Blitz: Wild at Heart by KA Tucker

From the internationally best-selling author of The Simple Wild comes the continuation of a woman’s journey to Alaska and a life she never imagined for herself.

Wild at Heart, book two in the Simple Wild series by USA Today bestselling author, K.A. Tucker, is live!

Calla Fletcher returns to Toronto a different person, struggling to find direction and still very much in love with the rugged bush pilot she left behind. When Jonah arrives on her doorstep with a proposition she can’t dismiss, she takes the leap and rushes back to Alaska to begin their exciting future together.

But Calla soon learns that even the best intentions can lead to broken promises, and that compromise comes with a hefty price—a log cabin in interior rural Alaska that feels as isolating as the western tundra.

With Jonah gone more than he’s home, one neighbor who insists on transforming her into a true Alaskan, and another who seems more likely to shoot her than come to her aid, Calla grapples with forging her own path. In a world with roaming wildlife that has her constantly watching over her shoulder and harsh conditions that stretch far beyond the cold, dark, winter months, just stepping outside her front door can be daunting.

This is not the future Calla had in mind, leaving her to fear that perhaps she is doomed to follow in her mother’s fleeing footsteps after all.

Download your copy today!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/386OOcv

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About K.A. Tucker

K.A. Tucker writes captivating stories with an edge.

She is the USA Today bestselling author of 17 books, including the Causal Enchantment, Ten Tiny Breaths and Burying Water series, He Will Be My Ruin, Until It Fades, Keep Her Safe, and The Simple Wild. Her books have been featured in national publications including USA Today, Globe & Mail, Suspense Magazine, First for Women, and Publisher's Weekly. She has been nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Romance 2013 for TEN TINY BREATHS and Best Romance 2018 for THE SIMPLE WILD. Her novels have been translated into 16 languages.

K.A. Tucker currently resides in a quaint town outside of Toronto with her family.

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Website: https://www.katuckerbooks.com/

Cover Reveal: Nightfall by Penelope Douglas

From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Douglas comes the thrilling, final installment in the Devil’s Night series…

EMORY

They call it Blackchurch. A secluded mansion in a remote, undisclosed location where the wealthy and powerful send their misbehaving sons to cool off away from prying eyes.

Will Grayson has always been an animal, though. Reckless, wild, and someone who was never bound by a single rule other than to do exactly what he wanted. There was no way his grandfather was going to risk him humiliating the family again.

Not that the last time was entirely his fault. He might’ve enjoyed backing me into corners in high school when no one was looking, so they wouldn’t catch on that Mr. Popular actually wanted a piece of that quiet, little nerd he loved to torture so much, but…

He could also be warm. And fierce in keeping me safe.

The truth is… He has a right to hate me.

It’s all my fault. Everything.

Devils Night. The videos. The arrests.

I’m to blame for all of it.

And I regret nothing.

WILL

I never minded being locked up. I learned a long time ago that being treated like an animal gives you permission to act like one. No one has ever looked at me any other way.

Their only mistake is believing anything I do is an accident. I can sit in this house with no Internet, television, liquor, or girls, but I’ll come out of here with something far more frightening to my enemies.

A plan.

And a new pack of wolves.

I just didn’t expect one of my enemies to come to me.

I don’t know who smuggled her in or if they meant to leave her here, but I can smell her hiding in the house. She’s here.

And as the security detail leaves the supplies, the gates close, and the door to my gilded cage opens, giving me free reign of the house and grounds for another unsupervised month, I remember with a smile…

Blackchurch houses five prisoners. I’m only one of her problems.

*Nightfall, Devil’s Night #4, is a full-length, romantic suspense suitable for readers 18+. It’s necessary to read the prior installments in the series before starting this story.

Cover Artist: Pink Ink Designs

About Penelope: Penelope Douglas is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. Her books have been translated into fourteen languages and include The Fall Away Series, The Devil’s Night Series, and the stand-alones, Misconduct, Punk 57, and Birthday Girl. Please look for Kill Switch (Devil’s Night #3), available now.

She lives in Las Vegas with her husband and their daughter.

Connect with Penelope:

Be alerted of her next release: http://amzn.to/1hNTuZV

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Book Review: Fighting for Rain by BB Easton

Fighting for Rain (The Rain Trilogy #2)

by BB Easton

Release Date: January 16, 2020

Source: Kindle Unlimited

Goodreads

The world was supposed to end on April 23, but Rainbow Williams’s world ended days before that. 

The mass hysteria caused by the impending apocalypse claimed everything she’d ever loved. Her family. Her city. Her will to live. 

Until she met him. 

Wes Parker didn’t have anything left for the apocalypse to take…he’d already lost it all by the time he was nine-years-old. His family. His home. His hope of ever being loved. 

Until he met her. 

Brought together by fate and bound by a love that would last lifetimes, Rain and Wes were prepared to die together on April 23. 

They were not prepared for what would happen on April 24.

Praying for Rain was one of my favorite books of 2019, so I have been DYING to read more to see what would happen next after that ending. I was so in love with the romance between Wes and Rain as the end of the world approached and I couldn't wait to get more of them in this book. 

Page one begins literally right where book one left off. We are dropped right into the action, but that action quickly declined until the story kind of went stagnant for a little bit. When a certain thing happen in this book, we get Rain moping around for a good 40% of the novel. I loved the nonstop action and the angsty romance in book one. We didn't get enough of that in this book, but I definitely have a feeling we'll go right back to that in book three based on how this book ended. 

What I did enjoy, though, was watching Rain survive in a whole new situation and finally dealing with the emotional trauma from book one. Our main characters were thrown into an entirely new situation and they had to figure out how to survive while still recovering from everything they experienced from the first book. I still loved Wes so much in this book and cannot wait to see how things wrap up in the final book!

Book Review: The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa

The Worst Bet Man

by Misa Sosa

Release Date: February 4, 2020

Source: Publisher

Goodreads

Critically acclaimed author Mia Sosa delivers a sassy, steamy enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy about a woman whose new job requires her to work side-by-side with the best man who ruined her wedding: her ex-fiancé's infuriating, irritating, annoyingly handsome brother. Perfect for fans of Jasmine Guillory, Helen Hoang, and Sally Thorne!

A wedding planner left at the altar. Yeah, the irony isn’t lost on Carolina Santos, either. But despite that embarrassing blip from her past, Lina’s managed to make other people’s dreams come true as a top-tier wedding coordinator in DC. After impressing an influential guest, she’s offered an opportunity that could change her life. There’s just one hitch… she has to collaborate with the best (make that worst) man from her own failed nuptials. 

Tired of living in his older brother’s shadow, marketing expert Max Hartley is determined to make his mark with a coveted hotel client looking to expand its brand. Then he learns he’ll be working with his brother’s whip-smart, stunning—absolutely off-limits—ex-fiancée. And she loathes him. 

If they can survive the next few weeks and nail their presentation without killing each other, they’ll both come out ahead. Except Max has been public enemy number one ever since he encouraged his brother to jilt the bride, and Lina’s ready to dish out a little payback of her own. 

But even the best laid plans can go awry, and soon Lina and Max discover animosity may not be the only emotion creating sparks between them. Still, this star-crossed couple can never be more than temporary playmates because Lina isn’t interested in falling in love and Max refuses to play runner-up to his brother ever again...

When I started this book, I was loving this story and these characters. Nothing gets me like a good enemies to lovers romance and Lina really hated Max when he encourages his brother to break up with her on their wedding day. Flash forward five years and Lina and Max have to work together on a project that could earn Lina the job of a lifetime. Of course, she wants to keep Max as far away as possible, but Max is determined to do his fair share and help her win the job. 

My favorite part of this book was when Max and Lina had to pretend to be a couple and it gave me so many Unhoneymooners vibes. Lina was trying everything to push Max's buttons and test him, but he took everything in stride. Their bantering was so fun and I loved how Max genuinely liked Lina and wanted her to see he wasn't a good guy. I also loved how they were working on wedding planning! I love movies and books surrounded around weddings, so I enjoyed how Lina was working on weddings throughout the book. 

When Lina decided she didn't like Max anymore, I kind of...lost some interest in the romance? I love enemies to loves and the angst that comes with that. Once they're done hating each other, that angst and tension is over and I wanted it to last a little bit longer. I also wasn't a fan of the overly malicious character at the end that felt like more of a soap opera conflict. So I loved the first half and enjoyed the second half. But if you want a fun enemies to lovers, pick this one up!

Book Review: A Heart of Blood and Ashes by Milla Vane

A Heart of Blood and Ashes (A Gathering of Dragons #1)

by Milla Vane

Release Date: February 4, 2020

Source: Publisher

Goodreads

A generation past, the western realms were embroiled in endless war. Then the Destroyer came. From the blood and ashes he left behind, a tenuous alliance rose between the barbarian riders of Parsathe and the walled kingdoms of the south. That alliance is all that stands against the return of an ancient evil—until the barbarian king and queen are slain in an act of bloody betrayal.

Though forbidden by the alliance council to kill the corrupt king responsible for his parents’ murders, Maddek vows to avenge them, even if it costs him the Parsathean crown. But when he learns it was the king’s daughter who lured his parents to their deaths, the barbarian warrior is determined to make her pay.

Yet the woman Maddek captures is not what he expected. Though the last in a line of legendary warrior-queens, Yvenne is small and weak, and the sharpest weapons she wields are her mind and her tongue. Even more surprising is the marriage she proposes to unite them in their goals and to claim their thrones—because her desire for vengeance against her father burns even hotter than his own…

As soon as I saw this book was releasing in 2020, it went on my most anticipated releases of the year. A barbarian fantasy romance? I NEED IT NOW. 

When this book started, it was definitely a slower start as we got introduced to this fantasy world. I don't think I was really invested in the tory until Maddek and Yvenne actually met and the chemistry between them instantly started sizzling between them. I absolutely loved the enemies to lovers in this one and how Maddek and Yvenne tried so hard to act like they didn't like each other or weren't attracted to one another. The more they started to like each other, the more I wanted them to just be together already for real. 

There are a lot of politics in this book and it did take me a bit to wrap my head around them. Honestly, I really only cared about the romance and how Yvenne was going to get revenge on her brothers and father. I do think it didn't need to be over 500 pages for this book, but I did like the slow burn of the romance and how hard Maddek tried to fight any feelings he started to feel for Yvenne. If you're a fan of fantasy romance, you definitely have to pick this book up!